Swedish 74 (mainly on a Swedish petition at http://upprop.nu/7318)
Finnish and Spanish 9
German 4
All other countries mostly 1 some 2-3.

In total 116 individual signitures which shows that it is useful to start signiture campaigns in a national language.

So far the reach out in the environmental movement have been well although we hope for a broader range of organisations. Peasant, indigeneous and rural workers organisation have only been very marginally reached, The Latin American and Third World solidarity movement very little as well, Latin American migrant organisations or educational organisation have not yet been called. MST is a strong cooperation partner with trade unions, social initiatives by religious institutions, humna rights organisations, cultural workers and for the whole World Social Forum process. There ought to be some support also among these organisations and UN associations and UNICEF. In Sweden the International Womens day will be used to make an appeal to womens organisations to support the struggle of fmela landless MST workers in their struggle on March 8 by participating in manifestations and a national appeal.

At March 9 protests will be handed over at some Brazilian embassies, among them according to plans in Helsinki, Vienna and Stockholm.

In short the potential is there for a growing action. Together with systematic dissemination an translation of the petition and appeals to sign it also action as on March 9 and April 17 at Brazilian embassies and consulates is of importance. Also to get more news and information and pictures from Brazil and from MST support actions in different countries. In Sweden a post card campaign against Stora Enso has started in support of MST. In Brazil letters of support is coming from many while auhtorities in diffrenet parts of countries tries to delegitimize MST.

The pressure also grows against the opponent to the MST, Stora Enso. In Brazil in the state of Bahia a strike started against the Stora Enso owned company Veracell in protest against the companies disinterest in the health of the workers and in Helsinki Greenpeace occupied the main office of Stora Enso in protests against the ecologically damaging forestry in indigenous areas in Northern Finland

Workers active in the cutting of eucalyptus trees and in the tree nursery of Veracel Celulose [owned by Stora-Enso ˆ 50% and Aracruz ˆ 50%]. stopped activities this morning after 11 negotiations with the company They demand for better salaries and better working conditions. The working day of a worker of a cutting machine is 12 hours and this has caused many occupational diseases. 58% of the workers suffer from repetitive strain injuries. Many are scared of asking for a leave to treat their disease, once, after they return, the company dismisses the ill worker, without giving any support. Only in the mechanized harvest, several workers have been dismissed and 4 returned to work because of a legal order from the Labor Court.

These diseases are a consequence of the high productivity that is demanded from the workers. The productivity of a Veracel Celulose worker is 34% higher than of any other company in the sector. A worker of Aracruz Celulose, one of Veracel´s shareholders, Votorantim and Suzano Bahia Sul, cut 18 m3 of wood per hour, while a Veracel worker in the harvesting activities cuts 34 m3 of wood per hour.

Even with this high productivity, the Veracel workers receive the lowest salaries compared with other companies of the sector. Almost 50% less than the salaries of the Aracruz Celulose workers who, besides of the salary receive other benefits like a holiday grant, health plan and free dental support, different from Veracel that charges these services from their workers. The salaries are 34% out of step. In 2004, they received the equivalent of 4 minimum salaries and now they receive the equivalent of 2,5 minimum salaries.

In spite of the world crisis, Veracel is producing beyond its capacity and it is investing in technology. Recently, it bought 2 cutting machines worth R$ 2 million each. It invested about R$ 16 million in the tree nursery. Now, the tree nursery of the Veracel company is one of the most modern ones in Latin America. Moreover, Veracel is investing in duplicating its pulp mill and already requested the license for the construction of one more mill and the planting of another 108 thousand hectares of eucalyptus, through which, according to the company, it will create 3,000 jobs.

Association of Mechanized Cutting Machine workers from the state of Bahia and the Trade Union of Workers in the Pulp and Paper Industry.
6 March 2009

Authorities controlled by politicians in the state of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil that have received support from the Finnish-Swedish transnational company Stora Enso are now closing schools for landless claiming they must do this according to federal law. The sudden decision to close the schools that have been started in encampments by the MST has come after a growing conflict between Stora Enso and the MST, a movement that defends food sovereignity, ecological agriculture as a sustainable form of agriculture and biological diversity against the monoculture plantations promoted by the transnational cellulose corporation.

A representative of the same authorities that are now closing the schools have simultaneously attacked the World Social Forum (WSF) that started in the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, and for many years have been held there. The WSF is widely respected in Brazil and globally as a strong inspiration for global democracy, including showing how the South can democratise the world. But it is now accused by officials in Rio Grande do Sul of being a gathering place for terrorists and forces of no interest to the majority.

In early 2009, Gilberto Thums, a member of the Superior Council at the ministry in the state of Rio Grande do Sul responsible for education simultaneously attacked both the WSF and the landless movement MST. In a statement in the journal Expansão, he described the WSF as a meeting place for ”terrorists and marginals”. A year or so earlier, in December 2007, Thums was behind a plan where a group of prosecutors would put MST on trial with the aim to “dissolve MST and declare it as illegal”. That plan was unveiled but the authorities are now making new attempts to attack the movement. In February 2009, Thums and the governor of the state Yeda Crusius were behind the closure of seven schools in MST encampments. A five-year-old article in the magazine Veja is cited in a report that has now been used as argument for the closure. The article accused schools in MST encampments and settlements for “defending socialism”, ”developing a revolutionary ideology”, and “supporting intolerance”. The “aggressive ideology” of the MST is now being used as an official argument for closing the schools.

The MST in Rio Grande do Sul was a pioneer twelve years ago in implementing a Brazilian law that supported schools in the countryside, and has become a model for the rest of the country. UNICEF Brazil have awarded the educational work which has developed due to MST as a model for education among children in vulnerable socio-economic conditions. The teacher’s union in Rio Grande do Sul has also awarded a prize to these schools. Almost 200,000 pupils attend the schools in the MST encampments and settlements. Slightly more than half of the schools are run on public money, and the rest voluntarily by MST.

MST is not only struggling for implementing agrarian reform and education in the countryside but is also engaged in work of importance to the survival of the planet. The 1.5 million participants in the movement are aiming at ecological agriculture. This work of theirs is a direct threat to transnational companies who wish to make profit from gene-manipulated plants and monoculture plantations for the cellulose and agrofuel industries. One of the main opponents of MST is Stora Enso. To strengthen its political influence, Stora Enso has given financial support in the election to those political forces that are now trying to stop the landless movement and to make it impossible for MST to continue its struggle for agrarian reform. Governor Yeda, who has been directly supported by Stora Enso, has now declared – immediately after closing the schools of the landless – that everything should be done to help Stora Enso forest industry to get established in the state – ”that is the road to development and we will not abdicate from that”.

We oppose this politics in the interest of Northern transnational corporations and the accusation that the WSF is an illegitimate, undemocratic force.
Undersigned organisations thus request that all who want to defend both the WSF and schools for landless in Brazil support –
• The four demands below
• The statement issued by the MST in Rio Grande do Sul against the closure of schools in MST encampments in the state

Today the 3rd of March 2009 the authorities in Rio Grande do Sul closes all the schools for landless in accampments set up by Movimento SemTerra (MST). Join the international protests! Sign the petition and take action!

Stop closing schools for the landless and official attacks in Brazil against World Social Forum:

We, the undersigned,

1. Strongly protest the closure of schools for the landless and the attack on World Social Forum alliances by politicians and authorities in Rio Grande do Sul, the birth place of both the landless movement MST’s schools and the World Social Forum (WSF), which are bringing hope to rural education and to the democratisation of the world.

2. Demand that the schools in MST encampments and settlements on the countryside be enabled to continue with public funds and support.

3. Demand that the authorities in Rio Grande del Sul withdraw the description made by its superior public ministry council member Thums of the World Social Forum as a gathering place for “terrorists and marginals”. Thums is also among the responsible for the closing of the schools and attempts to make MST illegal. To use a public office for making such an offence against WSF is not in the interests of the state of Rio Grande do Sul or the integrity of any public service.

4. Protest against the interference by transnational corporations such as Stora Enso in domestic politics, since this gives those who are rich means to undemocratically influence politics.

We also support the MST’s statement as follows :

Ever since the start of the struggle for the land, the care for good education for children and teenagers in MST/RS has been very important for the movement. There has been a lot of fight to make the right for a formal education in the acampments reality. Because of that we express our total support to the schools of the acampments of MST, which are under attack of the government of Rio Grande do Sul and sectors of the Ministério Público, which in the beginning of 2009 declared them closed.

MST is a social and legitimate movement and therefore has the right to an education of quality.that takes in consideration the conditions of the struggle and education at the countryside, where the childern and teenagers live together with their families and their community

We demand the the schools of the acampments of MST shall have the rights to continue

Signatures (name of individual, name of organisation if any, country) :

We call upon educational, environmental, human rights, peace, peasant, rural, social welfare, trade unions, UN associations, women’s and any other organisation concerned about social justice, social forums, environmental and rural concerns to sign the statement and send your protests to the email addresses above. We also urge you to contact other organisations and inform them about the signiture campaign.

When possible we also hope you can translate the protest and spread it among other organisations in your countries and collect signitures in different languages.

Go to the Brazilian embassy 9.3 and 17.4

We also appeal for joint action in two steps. Fiirst to react quickly in countries were it is possible on such a short notice. We propose you to hand over in as creative way as possible your protest already on Monday 9th of March to the Brazilian embassy and take photos or video and share with others via Flickr and You tube. Tag with MST and ”schools for landless”. We also call for a joint day of protest at Brazilian embassies or consulates on the International Peasant Struggles Day established by Via Campesina in memory of the massacre of MST activists 17th of April. You find addresses to Brazilian embassies at: